mollie anderson director uno human resources. "it doesn't matter who you are, where you...
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"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always."--Oprah Winfrey
"Champions have the courage to keep turning the pages because they know a better chapter lies ahead."--Paula White
"I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."--Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
2011 Theme- Our History is our strength
Learning about women’s tenacity, courage, and creativity
Until relatively recently, women's history was overlooked and undervalued.
Women’s achievements were often distortedWomen’s stories provide essential role models Role models are genuinely needed to face the
extraordinary challenges of the 21st century. The national Women’s History Project
March- Women’s History Month
In 2009, the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW) unanimously decided to offer an annual award to honor University of Nebraska at Omaha women alumni who have made lifelong contributions to UNO.
Legendary Woman of UNO Award
Criteria for SelectionThe woman must be deceasedNo more than one woman may be selected
each year for recognitionThe committee will consider the impact the
nominee had on:The future of UNOIssues pertaining to womenThe environment for students, faculty and staffThe core institutional structure
Documentation to support her achievements
Legendary Woman of UNO Award
1896-1987Achievements:
A young women full of promise at the dawn of a new century
An artist and a PoetA landlord and property managerAn entrepreneurA devoted wife and mother of two boysAn historian An actor
Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple was:
Class President, Omaha University 1919Service Learning PioneerActive in Campus Social OrganizationsKappa Psi Delta SororityPast President, Executive Secretary and
Lifetime Member or the Alumni AssociationEditor of the YELLow Sheet and GatewayAn athleteLifelong Promoter of UNOThe first paid secretary of the University of
Omaha Alumni Association.
Her husband was injured in WWI by mustard gas from which he contracted emphysema.
She took a six month leave of absence from the University Alumni Office in November of 1948 to care for her sick husband.
Her husband, the love of her life, died in 1949 from his illness.
She resigned from her position in the alumni office in March of 1949.
She raised their two sons on her own, managing work and family together.
She faced the hardship of being a young widower and being the monarch of the family.
Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple’s Triumphs
She survived the economic hardships of The Great Depression and WWII.
Her son served in the Korean War.She survived the suicide of her son after a breakup
with his girlfriend.Olga was a pioneer of education. She had difficulty getting published. She faced discrimination as a woman business
owner.She faced disparities in wages between men and
women doing the same job.Olga had a soft heart in hard times.
Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple’s Triumphs
Bare branches making lace,
Against the winter sky;
With delicacy trace
Designs that hold the eye.
Black and bare and strong,
Against the silver gray
They stand the winter long Striped of summer’s dress,
Defiant of the May. Bereaved of flowers of spring;
They bow not in distress
But through them wild winds sing.
Proudly against the sky
In tracings bold and strong,
Their filigrees defy When I too suffer loss,Memories of youth and song. In strength I hope to grow;
May I not wail and toss
In aimless grief and woe.
But like the barren trees
Against my winter sky,
May I make filigrees
That please the passerby.
Filigrees By Olga Jorgensen Strimple
Make the most of every opportunity you getLove lifeEnjoy your youthMake lemonade from LemonsFind solace in art and musicFocus on the positive Commit to all the roles and tasks you take onTake time to reflect on the lessons of lifeConfront discrimination head onTake time to mentor youthBe a patriot, even when you disagree with the
politicians of the dayBeing a good mother is your number one role
Lessons Learned from Olga
Who has inspired you?How do we inspire others?How do we respond to adversity?What messages do we surround ourselves
with?What legacies are we leaving for our
children?
Celebrating the Women in our Lives